The new PT1 4K triple-laser UST projector expands the popular Hisense Laser TV lineup. This name continues to elicit a skeptical grin from some physicists. However, any projector with a built-in digital tuner for receiving terrestrial and cable television can formally be positioned as a TV with an external screen. But to avoid confusion, most companies prefer to position such models as UST projectors.
Furthermore, a few years ago, the company divided this line into Laser TVs and Laser Cinema. Laser TVs come with an ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) or CLR (Ceiling Light Rejecting) screen and are significantly more expensive. The cheaper Laser Cinema projectors come without a screen, but have a powered digital lens focus system to adjust the screen size.
Hisense Laser Cinema models
This list includes:
– ‘budget’ PL2 ~$ 2,500, November 2024, brightness up to 2,700 ANSI lumens, Laser Phosphor light soure with color gamut up to 85% of the DCI-P3 color space, 30W mono speakers;
– premium PX3 Pro ~$ 3,500, August 2024, 3,000 ANSI lumens, RGB Laser light soure with color gamut up to 110% of the BT.2020 standard, built-in 50W front-firing Harman Kardon speakers;
– flagship L9Q ~$ 6,000, June 2025, 5,000 ANSI lumens, RGB Laser light engine with color gamut up to 110% of the BT.2020 standard, 116W audio output power with 10 speakers.
The new PT1 (September 2025) fits harmoniously between the PL2 and PX3 Pro, offering:
~$ 3,000, 2,500 ANSI lumens, RGB Laser light soure, immersive up-firing speakers with 46W output.
Main specs (PL2 / PX3 Pro / PT1 / L9Q models):
– brightness – 2,700 vs 3,000 vs 2,500 vs 5,000 ANSI lumens;
– UST design (Throw Ratio 0.22:1 / 0.22:1 / 0.20:1 / 0.18:1, 100″@(14~16cm);
– image size (focus range) – 80 to 150 inches diagonally (L9Q – up to 200″).
– 0.47″ DMD chipset with support for pixel-shift-based XPR technology for playing 4K content;
– contrast – 3,000:1 FOFO (full on/off) contrast (flagship L9Q – 5,000:1);
– support Full HD 3D;
– Dolby Vision, HDR10+, FilmMaker mode, Game Mode (world’s first ‘Designed for Xbox’ certification from Microsoft for PX3 Pro) and interpolation (smooth motion);
– AI Image Optimization.
It’s an auto adjustment of contrast, brightness and color rendering depending on the content (movie, sports, games).
– except for the flagship, no TV tuner (L9Q has built-in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) and ATSC 1.0 over-the-air tuner);
– 2x HDMI 2.1 (1x eARC) ports;
– remote control – solar, USB-C.
Light engine and TV platform
With the exception of the PL2, which uses ALPD (Advanced Laser Phosphor Display) 3.0-based Laser Phosphor light source, all models are equipped with an ALPD 4.0-based triple-laser RGB TriChroma light engine. The company calls this technology LPU (Laser Picture Unit).
It provides a wider color gamut of up to 154% for DCI-P3 (110% for the BT.2020 standard) versus 85% of the DCI-P3 gamut for the PL2. Furthermore, adjusting the laser wavelengths further expands the color spectrum. In essence, the color gamut characterizes the range of reproducible colors and their shades, ensuring color accuracy. In addition, triple-laser light engines are usually brighter.
But playback with triple-laser optical module can sometimes be accompanied by laser speckle due to coherent light. It can appear as a grainy or shimmering effect. However, an ambient light rejecting (ALR) or Ceiling Light Rejecting (CLR) screens solve this problem quite effectively.
Various sources sometimes incorrectly indicate the operating system used. For reference:
– Hisense PL2, PX3 Pro, and PT1 use Hisense’s VIDAA U7; the flagship L9Q comes with Google TV (in some regions, including Europe, it may come with VIDAA);
– later models may come with the improved VIDAA U9, which was introduced on September 15, 2025.
New U9’s features:
– VIDAA Art – displays artwork between viewings;
– MultiView – split screen for viewing different content simultaneously;
– VIDAA Smart Life – smart home integration (appliance control and lighting management);
– support for the universal Matter standard (compatible with other smart devices);
– improved voice assistant (improved recognition and support for 28 languages, and a built-in AI assistant for setup and navigation);
– interactive lighting (synchronization of lighting with content on the screen using the Yeelight app).
Audio system, dimensions and weight
The audio system is one of the main differences between the models. Its evolution is impressive:
– PL2 – 30W Mono with Dolby Atmos support;
– PX3-Pro – 50W Harman Kardon front-facing Dolby Atmos audio system (front-mounted drivers with two tweeters and two midbass drivers);
– PT1 – 2.0.2ch audio system with expansion potential (two front-firing 15W speakers and two 8W upfiring speakers for the height channels).
Of course, the spatiality provided by Dolby Atmos partially compensates for the lack of a subwoofer, but the limited bass in PX3-Pro and PT1 is noticeable. However, music lovers can solve this problem with the connection of the soundbar via the eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) port. In addition, the PT1 is compatible with the optional Hisense HT Saturn wireless sound system.
– L9Q – 116W 6.2.2ch premium sound system built-in with 15-degree tilted sound bin, Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X support (developed jointly with the French company Devialet and Paris Opera experts). Of course, it’s also compatible with external Hisense’s HT Saturn audio system.
Predictably, the flagship L9Q is the heaviest and bulkiest. The dimensions and weight of the other models are roughly the same (PL2 / PX3 Pro / PT1 / L9Q):
– dimensions@weight – (12 x 53 x 34cm)@8.5kg vs (12 x 55 x 30cm)@9.0kg vs (11.9 x 52.1 x 28.2см)@7.2kg vs (17 x 62 x 32cm)@12.9kg.
Conclusion
The new PT1 fits perfectly into the Hisense Laser Cinema lineup of UST 4K projectors. In fact, it could be positioned as an improved version of last year’s PL2 or as a cheaper version of the 2024 flagship PX3 Pro. In the first case, for an additional 15-20% ($3,000 / £1,800 (discounted) / €2,000 vs $2,500 / £1,400 / €1,720) projector offers a wider color gamut (154% vs 85% for the DCI-P3 color space) with an improved light engine (TriChroma RGB laser vs Laser Phosphor), and an improved built-in audio system (46W 2.0.2ch vs 30W mono).
Compared to the PX3 Pro, the new model is cheaper ($3,000 vs $3,500), but is less bright (2,500 vs 3,000 ANSI lumens) and lacks ‘Designed for Xbox’ certification from Microsoft. Thus, the four current Hisense Laser Cinema projectors cover the entire price segment of laser UST 4K projectors, ranging from $2,500 to $6,000.
However, its bright marketing prospects may be overshadowed by the JMGO O2S Ultra UST 4K projector, which became one of the sensations at IFA 2025. Offering a compact design, light output up to 3500 ISO lumens, a wide color gamut, and excellent contrast with the proprietary MALC (Microstructure Adaptive Laser Control) 3.0 optical engine, it costs just $2,800. Of course, an objective assessment of image quality and functionality requires a side-by-side comparison, but the JMGO’s specs are impressive. However, even a formidable competitor is unlikely to faze the Chinese giant, and consumers get two superb models at a very reasonable price.
This video introduces the new Hisense PT1 TriChroma Laser Cinema UST 4K projector.